Plans submitted to bring café and flats to Needham Market’s former town hall in High Street

Plans have been submitted for a café and two flats at a former town hall.

The proposals for the Grade II listed town hall in Needham Market’s High Street have been lodged with Mid Suffolk District Council.

The hall is currently mixed use as retail and residential units including a first floor flat, a bric-a-brac/antique shop, a beauty salon, an upholstery business and a bicycle repair shop.

According to the application, submitted by DAB Associates Ltd, the new café would be located at the back of the existing ground floor units, with two new flats – one one-bedroom and one two-bedroom – formed through inside alterations.

The proposal shows no loss of space for existing tenants — meaning current businesses can continue operating as usual.

A design and access statement said both flats meet national described space standards and the work would bring underutilised areas of the building into productive use.

Outside improvements would include new outdoor seating areas at the front and back, cycle storage, bin storage and car parking.

The plans also include careful cleaning of the building’s historic brickwork as well as repairs and repainting of original windows.

The site sits within the Needham Market Conservation Area, and a separate Heritage Impact Assessment submitted with the application supports the plans.

The application notes the proposals would have ‘no impact on existing residents and neighbours’ as all works are designed to work with the building’s existing structure and its surroundings.